Sao Mai

The Com Chien Sao Mai dish, which consisted of House Special fried rice with Ginger fried rice, shrimp, chicken, and spam accompanied by a pork chop, was exceptional. I intend to reorder this dish frequently due to its perfection. The culinary expertise displayed was evident, and the meal was prepared with evident care. I highly recommend this establishment, rating it a 10/10.

This was my first time trying pho, and I instantly fell in love! The broth was incredible, the meat perfectly cooked, and the noodles were outstanding. Despite the restaurant being packed, we only waited about 15 minutes for a seat. Everything about the experience was amazing—I still think about it to this day!

i will mourn if this place ever closes. this is my favorite place to get bun bo hue in the city - it's only mildly spicy, but spicier than other vietnamese spots. saying i love the bun bo hue here would be a serious understatement. i've come back three times in the span of a month. please try their bun bo hue! i've tried most of their drink selection as well, and i really like their milk tea! it reminds me of hong kong style milk tea.

Sao mai is probably my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in NYC. The place is very cosy and  no-frills, the food is always so inviting and delicious, and price point is so good (especially in the city nowadays haha). My favourite dish here is the bun bo hue. The broth is sooo fragrant -- just the perfect mix of spicy and sour (the lemongrass and shrimp paste flavours both taste so vivid without being too dominant). The noodles are cooked to a nice texture (and come in a large portion size), and the beef slices are so tender and flavourful. So delicious ... I'm getting hungry just writing this haha. I also really like the bun thit nuong for one of the non-soup noodle dishes. The mix of lettuce and carrots is always so crispy and fresh, and the veggies complement the perfectly-grilled pork strips so well. Adding a bit of fish sauces adds a nice depth of flavour when mixed into the dry rice noodles, and every bite, combining a bit of meat, carbs, and veggies, is wonderfully balanced. The pho dishes are also fantastic. Pho tai is a particular favourite (the beef slices are so juicy and tender), and the broth is just so aromatic without being too salty or oily. The price point overall is so good -- it's hard to find such a good value in the city nowadays. The appetisers can be a bit pricey, relatively speaking (I like their summer rolls, but it feels like I should just get another entree at that point haha), but each bowl of noodles is usually in the mid $10-20. So worth. I can't wait to come back again :)

Food 2.75/5 Service 4.5/5 Ambiance 3/5 I had high expectations for the pho here since many people rave about the bun bo hue, but it wasn’t quite for me. I’m usually someone who finishes all the broth, but this one had a distinct, slightly gamey aroma that didn’t match my personal taste. The meat in the BBH was a bit overcooked for my preference, though I can see how others might enjoy it.